Mexican Authorities Dismantle Surveillance Network Used by Criminal Group to Extort Migrants

Authorities in Chiapas, Mexico, have dismantled a covert surveillance network operated by a criminal cell to extort migrants crossing the region. The network was discovered after the installation of surveillance cameras at strategic locations along the border, specifically in the municipalities of Frontera Hidalgo and Suchiate.

The State Attorney General's Office (FGE) reported the discovery of 30 security cameras set up in public spaces, which were used to track and extort migrants traveling through the area. Following the discovery, authorities acted to remove the devices, with support from the State Security Secretariat, the National Institute of Migration, the National Guard, and the Immediate Reaction Force Pakal. Of the 30 cameras, 27 were found in the municipal center of Frontera Hidalgo.

Authorities said that these devices were installed on poles similar to those used by the Escudo Urbano C5 system, which handles emergency 911 calls, according to Infobae. In November 2020, the Chiapas Security Secretariat earned certification for the Escudo Urbano C5 project from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) in the United States.

Reports indicated the cameras were strategically placed on these poles to facilitate the extortion and kidnapping of migrants. As a result, the surveillance network was linked to an organized crime group.

The operation followed a report detailing the criminal group's use of the cameras to kidnap and extort migrants in Frontera Hidalgo, Metapa de Domínguez, and Suchiate. Authorities also discovered additional cameras at the entrances and exits of Ciudad Hidalgo, as well as one in the town of Zaragoza, part of Suchiate municipality. All 30 cameras were deactivated to prevent further use.

As investigations continue, the Chiapas Attorney General's Office has not disclosed the identity of the criminal group responsible, and no arrests have been made during the operation.

This operation mirrors a similar action in San Luis Potosí, where security forces dismantled another surveillance network tied to a criminal cell. During that operation, 24 cameras were seized after officers observed a suspect fleeing toward a building, though no arrests were made. It is suspected that the criminal group used the cameras to monitor security forces' activities in the area.

Recently, Mexican and U.S. officials have uncovered a suspected cross-border smuggling tunnel near the Arizona border, more specifically in San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico, just south of Yuma. The discovery, made during a joint operation involving Sonora's Public Security Secretariat (SSP) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), came through a drone, demonstrating the growing reliance on high-tech technology in border security efforts.

Authorities believe the tunnel, still in its early construction stages, was intended for drug trafficking or human smuggling. This was the third tunnel discovered south of Yuma this year, underscoring the persistent challenge posed by criminal syndicates and their evolving methods to bypass border security.